JOHANNESBURG, June 13 (Xinhua) -- South Africa has seen a slight decline in crime over the past two quarters, but the country remains under siege from persistent criminal activity, a threat that continues to undermine its development efforts, South African Police Minister Senzo Mchunu said Friday.
"These crimes continue to rob families of their loved ones, destabilize communities, and undermine the development of our nation," he said.
Speaking in Pretoria about plans to improve police service delivery, Mchunu said that "murder, the proliferation of illegal firearms, and drug trafficking" were among the top crimes that had been prioritized.
He said that some of the key measures being implemented to tackle crime include piloting the "automation" of five identified police stations to capacitate detectives, the construction and equipping of forensic laboratories, and the integration of technology to support investigations.
Speaking at the same event, National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola said that the police would soon be recruiting 5,500 trainees to join the ranks, with training set to commence in January next year. He added that 30,393 police officers have been added over the past three years.
During the current financial year, more than 4,000 new police officers will be joining the detective environment, according to Masemola. These additional detectives will be deployed to the 30 police stations with the highest levels of crime. Enditem
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